1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the manufacture of high performance bicycle components and, more specifically, to prevention or minimization of cracking of tubular components due to stresses induced therein by clamps.
2. Prior Art
High performance cycling requires a frame and other components of a bicycle to possess strength, rigidity, and light weight. As is well known, tubular bicycle frames and parts thereof, handlbars, seat posts and other structural components of bicycles and other structures may be made of metal or metal alloys such as steel, aluminum and titanium or they may be made of high strength composites such as carbon or fiberglass reinforced cured resins. In some instances metal tubes may have a composite outer layer bonded thereto. Tubular structural members that are manufactured from composite materials are particularly subject to damage due to clamping since clamping of an end of an inner tube such as a bicycle seat post, handlebar stem or handlebars into an outer tube which is compressed by a C-shaped clamp has been found to quickly destroy the structural integrity of composites through gouging, fretting and point loading. One manner of addressing this problem is through the use of a double articulated clamp such as a two hinge pin clamp for a bicycle handlebar as disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/150,626 by Osborne and owned by the assignee of the present invention.